Boris Johnson's brother and Orpington MP Jo resigns due to 'family loyalty'

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's brother and Orpington MP Jo Johnson has announced to resign saying that he has " been torn between family loyalty and the national interest".

Johnson who was serving as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Orpington since 2010 said in a statement, "It has been an honor to represent Orpington for 9 years & to serve as a minister under three PMs.

"In recent weeks I’ve been torn between family loyalty and the national interest - it’s an unresolvable tension & time for others to take on my roles as MP & Minister," he added.

His resignation comes days after the prime minister expelled 21 Conservative lawmakers from the party for failing to back his Brexit strategy, including Winston Churchill's grandson and a former finance minister.

Since taking office in July, Boris Johnson has tried to corral the Conservative Party, which is deeply divided over Brexit, behind his strategy of leaving the European Union on Oct. 31, with or without a deal.

Jo Johnson, 47, had previously expressed backing for a second referendum on whether Britain should leave the EU, but accepted a job as a junior minister in the business and education departments when his brother became prime minister.

 It was not immediately clear whether he would resign as a Member of Parliament immediately, or simply not stand for re-election. He had been an MP since 2010, serving in several ministerial roles.

Johnson was appointed Director of the Number 10 Policy Unit in 2013 by Prime Minister David Cameron. He became Minister of State for the Cabinet Office in 2014 and Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation in 2015.

Following the January 2018 cabinet reshuffle, Johnson served as Minister of State for Transport and Minister for London; he resigned in November the same year, citing the failure of the Brexit negotiations to achieve what had been promised by the Vote Leave campaign and his wish to campaign for a new EU referendum.

Johnson is the youngest of four children born to former Conservative Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Stanley Johnson and artist Charlotte Johnson Wahl (née Fawcett), the daughter of Sir James Fawcett, a prominent barrister and president of the European Commission of Human Rights.

(With inputs from agencies)